TEACHING NOTES Introduction Of all the prayers we have studied so far in this series, Psalm 103 is one of the most profound prayers in the Bible. There are many purposes and benefits of prayer, but one purpose is to remind us of the character of our God. Psalm 103 describes God’s loving characteristics in multiple ways. We would do well to pray this prayer on a regular basis to remind us of God’s goodness. ‌ Psalm 103:1–2 1 Bless the LDRO, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! 2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, ‌ Bless the LORD = Heb. baraki et YHWH - adore Yahweh. When God blessed humanity in Gen. 1:28, the blessing is a statement of purpose or a job description. But since we cannot tell God what to do, blessing God is a statement of adoration and thanksgiving. The Hebrew barak can also refer to bowing down or worship. God enjoys our worship because we are showing our gratitude for His goodness. ‌ O my soul = The soul is the most inner part of our being. In the Bible, the soul is what makes us alive. Therefore, this prayer is focused on the inner self and reminding ourselves of God’s goodness at the deepest level. The inner self is usually our biggest problem. Who we are on the inside is who we really are. And who we are on the inside works its way to the outside. Therefore, we need to remind our inner self of who God is and all that He has done, and is doing for us. ‌ Forget not all his benefits = The rest of this Psalm details all the benefits of being a child of God. The fact that David says not to forget all these benefits assumes that we often do forget. This prayer is meant to remind us of all the many ways that God is good to us. ‌ Psalm 103:3–5 3 who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, 4 who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, 5 who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. ‌ Forgives all your iniquity = The Hebrew word for “forgiveness” here is salah, which means “to set free, pardon, forgive with indulgence.” According to the Torah, there is no sacrifice that can pardon iniquity (premeditated evil). The Torah commanded that an iniquitous person must be cut off from the people (executed or exiled). This means that there was no human remedy for iniquity. Iniquity could only be forgiven by God’s deliberate choice. David, who committed iniquity in more ways than one, is saying that God chooses to forgive our iniquities. God chooses to do “what the law could not do” (Rom. 8:3). ‌ Heals all your diseases = Obviously God does not literally heal every single disease. David is likely referring to the diseases that kept people away from the temple (God’s presence). In the Torah, certain illnesses made an Israelite unclean. A person had to be restored to good health before returning to God’s house. In the New Testament, Jesus heals people to show that He can remove the barriers that keep us from God’s presence. ‌ Redeems your life from the pit = Literally, “redeems your life from destruction.” For God to “redeem” us means that He is setting us free from slavery. Without God’s work to save or redeem us, we are left in slavery to sin and destruction. The “pit” can also refer to the grave, meaning that God delivers us from death. ‌ Crowns you with steadfast love and mercy = The Hebrew word for “crowns” here is meattere, which means “to surround or encircle.” In other words, God surrounds us with “steadfast love” (Heb. hesed - loyal, faithful love) and “mercy” (Heb. rahamim - compassion, favor, lack of condemnation). ‌ Satisfies you with good = Literally, “fills you up with goodness.” ‌ Renewed like the eagle = To have one’s “youth renewed like the eagle’s” refers to a renewing of strength or power. The same idea appears in Isaiah 40:31 “but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” ‌ Psalm 103:6–8 6 The LORD works righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed. 7 He made known his ways to Moses, his acts to the people of Israel. 8 The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. ‌ The LORD works righteousness/justice = The Hebrew word for righteousness (sedaqah) and justice (mishpat) are essentially synonomous. Righteousness is about doing right to another and justice is the same idea. Our God “works” (Heb. asah - make, manufacture) righteousness and justice for humanity. This means that He is not an absent God, but is active in His creation. We work evil in the world, but God works for our good (Gen. 50:20). As Paul said in Romans 8:28 “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” ‌ For all who are oppressed = While ancient pagan religions depict their gods as the gods of the powerful and of rulers, the Bible presents our God as the God of the poor, oppressed, orphans, and the weak. In Psalm 82 God chastises these gods for oppressing the weak and fatherless and for judging unjustly and showing partiality to the wicked. Our compassionate God judges these demonic spirits for their oppression and condemns them to death. ‌ Made known his ways to Moses = The Torah (the first five books of the Old Testament) was given or revealed to Moses. “Torah” means “instruction” but what is the Torah instructing us about? The Torah reveals who God is, who we are, and what God wants to do in and with His creation. This Psalm tells us “his ways” (Heb. derek - road, journey, manner, behavior) were “made known” (Heb. yadah - revealed, come to know) to Moses. The next line is a quote from the Torah when God revealed “his ways” directly to Moses on Mt. Sinai. ‌ Merciful, gracious, patient, loving = Verse eight is a quote from the time when God revealed His characteristics to Moses in Exodus 34:6–7 “6 The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, ‘The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, 7 keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.’” ‌ Psalm 103:9–10 9 He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever. 10 He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. ‌ He will not always chide = To understand the meaning of “chide” we need only to read the next line “nor will he keep his anger forever.” In Hebrew poetry, concepts are often said twice but with different words. Therefore, the second line often explains the first line. This poetic couplet tells us that while God does get angry, He will not stay angry with us. Contrary to modern ideas that an angry God is a bad God, we actually want God to get angry about evil. If God never got angry about evil, He would not be a good God. ‌ Does not deal with us according to our sins = If our definition of justice is that every wrong must be punished, this Psalm would make it seem that God is unjust. But God is not operating by our definition of justice. God Himself is just and He defines justice. If God created justice and God also forgives, it is within God’s rights to do so for whoever and whatever He chooses. Nothing requires God to do anything. Nothing is ruling over to require Him to punish sin. Punishment and mercy is God’s choice. And God chooses NOT to deal with us according to our sins (Heb. hattah - offense, miss the mark, fall short). Why? Because God loves sinners and if every sin is punished, all sinners would be annihilated. ‌ Nor repay our iniquities = As already commented at verse three, there was no remedy for premeditated evil (iniquity) in the Torah. There was nothing you could do atone for iniquity. But God chooses to forgive (not repay) iniquity. ‌ Psalm 103:11–12 11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; 12 as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. ‌ As high as the heavens above the earth = God’s “steadfast love” (Heb. hesed - loyal, faithful love) is as high as the heavens. Modern readers easily miss the force of meaning here because we have planes and space rockets. But for ancient people, the heavens were inaccessible to humanity. In other words, the heavens seemed vastly higher to them than to us. Perhaps ancient people had a greater understanding of the distance God’s love travels for us. ‌ As far as the east is from the west = While north eventually meets south, east and west never meet. God is so loving that when He forgives, our transgressions are cast so far away that they never return. In other words, when God forgives “It is finished!” ‌ Psalm 103:13–16 13 As a father shows compassion to his children, so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear him. 14 For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust. 15 As for man, his days are like grass; he flourishes like a flower of the field; 16 for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more. ‌ As a father shows compassion = Good fathers discipline their children, but do not destroy them. Good fathers also have compassion and mercy for the children. Why? Because every good father is also a sinner and understands that all sinners need compassion and mercy. ‌ To those who fear him = Notice that God’s compassion is shown to “those who fear him.” To fear God is to acknowledge that He is God and you are not. Those who fear God are those who are faithful to Him as their God. People often feel entitled to God’s compassion although they have no interest in obedience. They expect God to be compassionate toward them while refusing to do what God commands. This kind of entitlement is illogical and unbiblical. ‌ He knows our frame = This line is perhaps one of the most beautiful truths in the Bible. The Hebrew word for “frame” here is yeser, which means “form or inclination.” In other words, God knows we are inclined toward evil. He knows we are flawed humans. He knows that sin rules over us regularly. God is not shocked an appalled when we sin. David is saying that because God knows we are flawed He chooses to be merciful and forgiving. ‌ Man’s days are like grass = God knows that human life is finite and limited. There is only so much time in this life for God to do His work in us. Therefore, God chooses to be merciful so He can make the best use of our limited time on earth. Psalm 103:17–19 17 But the steadfast love of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to children’s children, 18 to those who keep his covenant and remember to do his commandments. 19 The LORD has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all. ‌ Love from everlasting to everlasting = While it would seem sufficient to say “God’s love is everlasting” David chooses his phrase carefully and intentionally. Everlasting implies that something began and continues forever. But “from everlasting to everlasting” means that God’s love has always been and will always be forever. God’s love is eternal in both directions. ‌ His righteousness to children’s children = God does right/good to children and their children’s children. David get this from Ex. 34:7 where God tells Moses that He is “keeping steadfast love for thousands of generations.” ‌ Those who keep his covenant = God’s love and righteousness does not override His requirement of obedience. If we are in covenant with God, we have agreed to be faithful and we have agreed to the consequences of being unfaithful. God is good to flawed people who are trying to remain faithful. ‌ His kingdom rules over all = To be enthroned in the heavens means that God’s authority (kingdom) rules over all things under heaven. The reason that it may seem that God is not ruling over all is because God is patient with sinners. Psalm 103:20–22 20 Bless the LORD, O you his angels, you mighty ones who do his word, obeying the voice of his word! 21 Bless the LORD, all his hosts, his ministers, who do his will! 22 Bless the LORD, all his works, in all places of his dominion. Bless the LORD, O my soul! ‌ You his angels = In the Bible, angels are messengers of God who have supernatural power. They always appear in human form to deliver a message or to protect someone or to destroy evildoers. ‌ All his hosts = The “hosts of heaven” is a general term for all the spiritual beings God created to be “his ministers.” The hosts of heaven were created by God to do certain tasks in partnership with God. ‌ All his works = The phrase “all his works” refers to all that God has created. In this Psalm, even God’s creation is told to worship God. Even creation wants to be delivered from the rule of sin and decay (Gen. 3:17-18; Rom. 8:19-22). ‌ How Psalm 103 Guides Prayer: Sinners struggle to forgive sinners. Sinners project their anger/unforgiveness on God. Psalm 103 reminds us that God loves sinners and loves to forgive sinners. ‌ How to Respond ‌Prayer: Ask God to reveal what needs to change. ‌Repentance: Agree with God and repent of sin. ‌Worship: Thank God for what He is doing in you. ‌Communion: Take Christ in and renew faithfulness.